May experienced “bad pains in the backside” three months after having knee replacement, and went in for MRI scans and blood tests.

‘Around Christmas I’ve been having a succession of blood tests, ultrasounds, and various kinds of scans, to see if they could rule out various kinds of cancer,” May wrote. “Now, on hearing the “C” word something happens inside you … of course. I’ve seen so many of my dear friends fighting it … and my Dad lost his battle at age 66, exactly the age I am now. So over the last few days I’ve been in various states of unrest.”

May, who recently recorded a cover of the “Badger” song in support of a campaign against the culling of badgers, wrote he’s “beginning to feel cautiously optimistic.”May underwent more tests today (Dec. 31).

“Of course we still don’t know what those things on the MRI’s are. But I’m hoping they are things that have been there for a long time and are not causing trouble.”